


Riverside

by Nakigaharas



Category: Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 03:05:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2452424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nakigaharas/pseuds/Nakigaharas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albafica had the habit to go to the river close to the Sanctuary to bathe himself when his thoughts were too much for him to handle. He only did not expect that this time, he would have a visitant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Riverside

The sensation which filled him was pleasant. Better saying, the one which surrounded and engulfed him, instead.

The temperature of the water of the river during summer was not as cold as the usual, and it was delightful and refreshing enough to make Albafica a frequent visitant of said waters. The moist touch against his bare skin relaxed and comforted him as much as if it was someone else’s touch, or so he believed.  The Pisces Saint felt welcomed inside such a limpid place, and barely paid any attention to his own reflection on the water’s surface.

His mind would wander freely during this period of leisure, yet that wasn’t always a good thing, per se. Closing his eyes and listening to the birds chirping among the woods and also to the sound of water bumping pleasantly against his body, he saw Shion in his thoughts, all of a sudden with those reddish brown eyes staring firmly towards him with words he could never forget.  “ _I am not afraid of the poison which runs amongst your blood, Albafica_ ”

Fool… As long as he could prevent it, he would never allow any innocent one to get near to the venom that he possessed inside his veins. It was a promise, and he would honor it.

Albafica’s eyes opened abruptly and he held back the gasp which dared to try to escape from his mouth.  Hm. A Cosmo. A familiar one… and it was watching him. When his expressions relaxed after the sudden surprise, the Pisces Saint turned his head slowly, his eyes searching for the one who lingered in the shadows between the trees close to the river.

“For how much longer do you intend to remain watching me without saying a thing, Shion? I would have never expected this kind of behavior coming from you. ” Albafica teased, yet his expression remained with the usual apathy he wore as a mask.

Was that the reason behind his thoughts just now? Or was it a mere coincidence?

Afterwards, the sound of heavy steps came, and a small quirk of a smile was present on the Aries Saint’s lips as he approached the margin of the river, meeting Albafica’s cerulean eyes.

“I just got here, actually. I was walking among those woods to clear my thoughts for a moment, but then I felt your Cosmo nearby.”  He said, unable to prevent himself from admiring Albafica’s beauty from where he stood. Shion could only see the upper part of his torso, but the faint sunlight which passed through the leaves glimmered against Albafica’s pale blue hair. Such a sight would be enough to leave anyone breathless, and he was no exception to that, either. The goosebumps and uncontrollable butterflies under his armor and inside his stomach were definitely real.  And so was the warmth he felt spreading across his chest. “And decided to follow it and make sure it was… you.”

The blue haired one listened to the other’s explanation patiently as left the river and went towards the shore; his nudity hidden from the Aries Saint since his long locks covered his entire backside as a curtain, even if they clung a bit to his skin due to its obvious dampness.

Shion turned his head to the side to give him a bit of privacy as Albafica put his armor back on, yet the faint heat that accumulated at his cheeks was inevitable. If it was Kardia in his place, he would probably have passed out due to his heart overexerting instantly.

“Are you going back to the Sanctuary?” Shion asked finally, and when he turned his head to face Albafica once more, the Pisces Saint was right before him, facing him with only the lower parts of his armor on. His chest was still bare and a few droplets of water remained on his skin.

A moist lock of his hair clung to his cheek, and when the Aries Saint raised his gaze to meet the other’s, his eyes were lost in those deep blue hues that reminded him of the mysterious depths of the sea. Too profound and too lonely, filled with a sorrow and solitude which was too much for anyone to bear alone. He couldn’t tell for how long he kept staring into Albafica’s eyes, but in a gentle impulse he lifted his hand to reach for the Piscean’s face and automatically brushed his pale blue locks to tuck them behind his ear distractedly with his fingers. And with the same impulsive gesture he cupped the other’s cheek with his hand, feeling the faint coldness against his palm due to the temperature of the water before brushing his thumb against Albafica’s skin in a tender caress. So soft… and it was warming up to his touch.

 It was the first time Albafica did not prevent Shion from touching him, and now his blue eyes had a different glow when staring into his reddish brown ones. They didn’t look as lonely as they used to, and that made Shion’s heart beat faster inside his chest. It was as if the world around them had stopped, and only that moment mattered. It was as if the rest of the world had genuinely _disappeared._

“You know… You don’t have to push everyone away, Albafica.” Shion finally pronounced himself in a murmur, tracing Albafica’s cheek with his thumb slowly whilst his eyes became lidded as he admired the other in front of him. “I’m not afraid of your thorns.” His lips formed a gentle smile.

The Piscean felt as if his chest would explode with such a violent wave of warmth that filled his entire body. He barely could remember the last time he allowed someone to touch him like this despite his Master, let alone get as close to him as Shion was.

He felt as if the barrier he had constructed around himself was being torn apart under the touch of Shion’s hand, yet he was too paralyzed to do anything about it. He was enjoying someone else’s warmth far too much to even dare to stop him.

His eyes closed under Shion’s caress, and he said nothing in reply. He did not need any words. Not now – not when he was being indulged in something he didn’t have for such a long time. Affection. It sounded foreign in his mind, a word which nearly had lost it’s meaning to him.

After a while being like this, Shion’s strokes across his cheek were not ceased as of yet, but when Albafica finally opened his eyes, there was a moist warmth being accumulated among his orbs. He placed his hand a bit hesitantly above the Aries Saint’s one, holding it softly with his fingers whilst his cerulean hues admired Shion’s face. “Why are you doing this, Shion?” His voice was low and patient and he waited for a reply while admiring the other’s features. “Why do you persist in getting near me?”

“Because I crave the rose. “ He said, confident, with his gaze holding Albafica’s firmly. “And I’m willing to grasp the thorns to gain it.”

Those words took Albafica off guard and his eyes widened lightly in surprise as his lips parted for the same reason; his hand grasping more firmly Shion’s in his hold while the wind blew against his long damp locks and made him shiver lightly under the beginning of the nightfall. That was the opportunity which Shion saw to pull him close with his free arm lightly, wrapping it around the other’s bare waist to cling his body softly against his cold armor, pressing his lips against a spot of Albafica’s forehead as he held him comfortably. There was no apparent signal of hesitation, but he could feel such a feeling still lay within the layers of his interior.

“Even if the thorns harm you? Even if they do not let you leave afterwards?” Albafica asked close to his ear at last, his arms pressed slightly against Shion’s chest. In response he received a smile from the Aries Saint who brushed lightly his lips against the Piscean’s forehead and tightened his embrace a bit around him.

“I’m counting on that they won’t let me leave, since I won’t allow you to leave, either.” He replied with a bit of humor, but seriously nonetheless, and then moved his head so he could grasp the other’s chin gently and meet his gaze with a lightly lidded gaze. “It’ll be worth it to let them hurt me as long as I can be by your side.”

After those words – such words Albafica never expected to hear – he knew there was nothing else left for him to do. He finally gave in inside Shion’s arms by crumbling in his embrace, closing his fingers against the other’s blonde locks before claiming his lips into a deep but gentle and tender kiss which Shion answered with the same fervor and kindness, resting his hand above the crook of Albafica’s neck.

“I’ll be holding you to this promise.” The Piscean murmured against the other’s soft lips in a whisper while his eyes remained closed and enjoyed the comfort of his embrace.

“And I shall be holding you onto me,” He retorted with a smile, claiming Albafica’s lips once more in a brief, but passionate kiss, engulfing him in his arms, “Thorns and all.”

Even if Albafica felt consolation amongst the waters of the river, he realized nothing could ever be compared to another being’s touch, to Shion’s touch.

And he still stood for the promise he had made to himself before turning into the Gold Saint of the Twelfth House. After all, the thorns of a rose are harmless to those who can maneuver it.

For the first time in several years, Albafica felt at _home_.

For the first time in several years, he was not alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Since Shion/Albafica is my recent addiction and there are only a few works about them, I decided to contribute!  
> I'd like to thank my lovely girlfriend in the first place since she was my beta and fixed the mistakes I committed along the story <3
> 
> I hope you all have enjoyed it!!


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